My bird has a head wound. How do I stop her from scratching it?

You can put an Elizabethan (cone) collar on Birdy to keep her from scratching the spot - googling how to make a bird sized one with a paper plate is a great at-home thing you can do, however with the severity of that injury and how rapidly it is spreading, I would seek out a veterinary exam in person ASAP. It is possible there is an infection, or other nutritional/disease process going on that requires additional treatment such as flushing the affected site, giving antibiotics, etc, so seeking vet care is best.

Keep it clean and dry. You can dab it with diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) daily. If it doesn't begin to heal in a few days or is actively bleeding, see your veterinarian or an experienced avian vet. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite or loose droppings. These are also symptoms that should be addressed by your vet.

If the skin is broken and bleeding, Lemon Drop is at risk for infection. Even if you have no local avian veterinarian, a small animal vet should be able to treat her. A specialist can be consulted online or by phone. The antibiotics and medications used are similar, just the dose is much smaller. A small e-collar (cone) may need to be fashioned to prevent her from plucking. In the meantime, lean and sanitize the cage, bowls, toys and perches. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Use paper towels on the cage bottom and change them daily to keep the cage clean. Provide a variety of toys and treats to keep her distracted from picking. Bathe or mist her with warm water a few times a week to promote preening and healthy skin and plumage.

Poor bird! If the foot is at all infected, trying to find a vet that can help in person is best. However, until you can find one, it is a good idea to separate the bird from any cage mates to keep from being picked on, and move him to a warm hospital cage with larger, flat perches that will make perching easier on his feet. Keeping the foot clean and dry and using an ointment such as Blu-kote (most feed and pet stores carry this for use in poultry and other birds) can help prevent infection. You can also Google how to make a bird-sized Elizabethan (cone) collar to put on the bird so that he can't get to his foot and bite it while it heals.

Your bird may have a skin infection, like from a bacteria or fungus, or he may have skin mites causing him to be so itchy. I would recommend taking him to the vet to be checked out so that the underlying problem can be treated and he will stop being so itchy. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

It is good that you separated the bird being picked on. If he is actively bleeding, injured, or the sites of his wounds appear to be infected, then it is best to bring him to a vet and have him treated with antibiotics as needed. Until you can get to the vet, keeping him separate, cleaning any wounds of any debris or oozing, and preventing him from picking at the wounds can help some.

Unfortunately, there isn't much other advice I can give over the internet. If the infection hasn't been clearing with current treatment, it may be time to try and seek out a specialist in your area, or perform additional tests such as blood work or X-rays to try and rule out other issues such as tumors, growths or underlying illness that is preventing it from healing. Keeping your bird separated from other birds, and applying an Elizabethan (cone) collar (they have these for birds or you can look up online how to make one) can also help the area to heal without allowing your bird or other birds to continue picking at it and making the infection worse. Keeping the area clean and treated can also help until you can find the ultimate cause of it.